Just try and keep up

Happy Sunday, friends! This week was quite the eventful one, filled with running around and seeing friends here and there. I don’t have many pictures from the week so I’ll spare going into the events in excruciating detail, but one of the highlights was getting a last minute text from Lindsay on Tuesday saying she was staying over that night :). Nothing like a fun surprise visit to break up the week.

We had a blast walking around east village, grabbing dumplings, and coming home and watching a brainless comedy on Netflix. Seeing Lindsay always hits the spot ❤

Fast forward to this weekend. Friday night I went out for the first time in AGES with Christine and some friends. I wasn’t planning on this at all as I had my big 20-miler planned for Saturday morning, but nevertheless my good decision-making skills went to play and there I was.

Saturday morning started off hungover. I really didn’t want to push off this big run for another day, so I sucked it up, rallied, and laced on my running shoes.

This 20-mile run is by far my favorite run in the marathon training plan. It occurs three weeks before the race and is the longest run of the plan, and I have a little tradition with myself where I run to Coney Island for it! I’ve been doing this run each marathon cycle, and was so looking forward to it (despite being dehydrated/having a headache!).

My favorite part of this run is the path through Brooklyn. Some of my happiest days were during a summer I lived in Park Slope, and I absolutely love running around the old stomping grounds, making my way to Prospect Park, weaving through Bay Ridge, and eventually making it down to the Shore Ridge for (in my opinion) the most beautiful spot in all of NYC.

The run ended at 21 miles! I was feeling surprisingly alright at 20 and had a bit to go to reach Coney Island, so decided to keep going. For waking up hungover, I was surprised how great this run felt! I stopped a few times to buy water at random delis, and took 2 Huma gels along the way, but this was the just the run I needed for a good confidence boost before race day :). So excited!

Between grabbing lunch in Coney Island and taking the long subway back, it was evening by the time I got back. Long runs really do take all day!! I had a little down time to rest before making my way to Sunnyside, Queens to meet up for a Korean tofu dinner. Scott, who has moved to SF, was in town so it was a must to see him!

It felt so great to get Scott, Phil and Alex together. It’s been a while since we’ve been together, and I’ve really missed our little work crew.

Week 12 of marathon training:

This week was a very odd one for me. Every few months, I go through periods of insomnia – tossing and turning until 2-3am. It’s usually centered around my exam stress. What hasn’t helped is that this time, I’ve also had NO appetite for almost a week. It’s such a bizarre feeling and rather new to me: I knew my body was hungry but when I sat down to eat, I couldn’t stomach more than a few bites of pasta. So strange. Anywho, this made this week feeling incredibly empty. Not getting sleep, running at peak mileage, AND not eating = not a great combo.

Monday: REST

Tuesday: 5 miles along the East River – no music, garmin, or phone. I got virtually no sleep the night before, so woke up super early for this run due to restlessness. It was a beautiful, cool, morning, and my first early morning run in a long time; it felt so fresh to be free of electronics. Due to not eating much lately, the first half felt a little empty, but I reached a good high towards the end.

Wednesday: 8 miles along the East River (10:02 pace). I felt pretty depleted because of the appetite situation, but kept a steady-ish pace and just focused on getting the miles in.

Thursday: REST – the plan called for 5 miles but I woke up feeling SO. EMPTY. My stomach was growling and my muscles were like jello, and I knew that a rest day would be more beneficial than pushing my limits before the weekend long run.

Hello, I’m Charlotte! I’m a 5x marathoner, 10x half marathoner, and 2x triathlete. This blog focuses on my journey training for races, balancing life as a working gal in San Francisco, my wonderful friends and family, and all the beauty in between. Thanks for stopping by :)